The methods of experimental psychology, linguistics, and anthropology are brought to bear on the development of cognitive and linguistic skills in children of different cultural and economic backgrounds. Samples of child language have been collected in different social contexts. Memory has been tested for word lists reflecting accurately or inaccurately the child's own organization of lexical memory. Information stored in lexical memory has been analyzed theoretically and the analyses have been tested by studies (Cross-sectional and longitudinal) of children's acquisition of color terms and temporal connectives. Spontaneous speech by the children has been analyzed and the results summarized in a detailed set of discourse rules. Experimental studies of reading comprehension are being planned.